Speeches

The speeches behind the quotes.

Quotes travel without their context. Here each one sits inside the speech it came from, linked to the moment it is said in the official recording, so you can hear it and judge it for yourself.

William H. McRaven2014 Commencement Address at the University of Texas at AustinAdmiral McRaven's commencement address, widely known as "Make Your Bed". He draws ten lessons from Navy SEAL training, from the discipline of small tasks to why you never ring the bell.May 17, 2014 · The University of Texas at Austin · 10 quotes · 19:29 video
J.K. RowlingThe Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of ImaginationJ.K. Rowling's Harvard commencement address, built on two ideas: what failure gave her in the years before Harry Potter, and why imagination matters. It is a speech about what is left when everything else is stripped away.June 5, 2008 · Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts · 8 quotes · 23:51 video
Steve Jobs2005 Stanford Commencement AddressSteve Jobs's 15-minute commencement address, told as three stories: connecting the dots, love and loss, and death. It is where "Stay hungry. Stay foolish." reached most people.June 12, 2005 · Stanford Stadium, Stanford University · 14 quotes · 14:26 video
John F. KennedyInaugural AddressPresident Kennedy's inaugural address, delivered at the Capitol on January 20, 1961. It is remembered for its pledge to "pay any price, bear any burden" in the defense of liberty and for its call to service.January 20, 1961 · United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. · 9 quotes · 15:11 video

More speeches are on the way. Looking for a leader's own words instead? Browse the leaders or topics.

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